Thiruvananthapuram: Air ambulance to take off soon, save the golden hours

The state is all set to have an air ambulance of its own, not just to airlift organs but also to rush to the aid of critically ill patients. The health department and the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology have agreed in principle to utilize two aircraft of the latter for the purpose.G Rajiv | TNN | Updated: January 21, 2016, 13:17 IST

Thiruvananthapuram: The state is all set to have an air ambulance of its own, not just to airlift organs but also to rush to the aid of critically ill patients. The health department and the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology have agreed in principle to utilize two aircraft of the latter for the purpose.

“The academy is preparing a commercial proposal which will be submitted to the health department. We have agreed in principle to operate the aircraft as chartered flights for the health department,“ said M Sivasankar, KSEB chairman and secretary of the academy's governing body .

The health department had invited proposals from private airlines for operating chartered flights. But they had demanded Rs 1-2 lakh per hour of flight and wanted an assurance from the government that a minimum of 40 hours of flying would be ensured every month. “Even charging half of it for one hour of flying is okay with us since the academy and aircraft belong to the government. We only need to cover the operational cost and can, hence, offer flights to the health department at cheaper rates,“ Sivasankar said.

The academy has two aircraft used to train students. It has expressed willingness to provide the four-seater singleengine aircraft at present and he six-seater twin-engine aircraft later for this purpose.

At present, Rs 10,500 is charged for one hour of flying on the single-engine aircraft or training purposes. When used for chartered purposes, the operational cost would also include additional airport charges, amounting to Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000, the flying club authorities said.

On November 7 last year, TOI had reported about the flying club's proposal to operate the twin-engine aircraft as air ambulance. The twin-engine aircraft purchased by the flying club from the US at a cost of Rs 7 crore has been lying idle since August 2014. The six-seater Piper Seneca PA 34 aircraft was purchased by the state to rain pilots and also with the intention of using it in emergencies. Now the flying club has decided to appoint a pilot or the twin-engine aircraft.

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